Last Live race on the BBC? (even last one full stop)

[henners88]

If any of you UK viewers voted Conservative either in 2010 or this year, you might like to consider that you're partly to blame. It's purely because the BBC is under ideological pressure to cut costs that moves like this are being made. That pressure comes from a government led by a man who socialises not with senior BBC figures, but senior News Corp ones. It hardly takes a rocket scientist to see the link.

To be honest though Labour were not exactly in bed with F1 either. Murdoch has been heavily involved with British governments since the 1980's with News Corp doing their bit to influence every election. I get the impression the government have been receiving back handers from Murdoch for decades. Labour refused to help fund Silverstone which I can understand even though Bernie made a payment to the Labour Party. It's always been a corrupt yet disinterested link.

I can see the BBC going PPV before long to be honest.

[BDunnell]

Murdoch has been heavily involved with British governments since the 1980's with News Corp doing their bit to influence every election.

Well, the relationship between New Labour and Murdoch was undoubtedly unhealthy as well. But it is surely obvious that, unlike then, we now have in power a government ideologically opposed in its highest echelons to the very notion of the BBC.

Labour refused to help fund Silverstone which I can understand even though Bernie made a payment to the Labour Party.

And quite right too, surely? No 'even though' about it. I'd add that the road network around Silverstone was upgraded during one of Blair's administrations, so some support for the facility from central government was forthcoming.

It's always been a corrupt yet disinterested link.

Why should it have to be 'interested' in F1? There's enough money in the sport for it not to require central government help.

[henners88]

Well, the relationship between New Labour and Murdoch was undoubtedly unhealthy as well. But it is surely obvious that, unlike then, we now have in power a government ideologically opposed in its highest echelons to the very notion of the BBC.



And quite right too, surely? No 'even though' about it. I'd add that the road network around Silverstone was upgraded during one of Blair's administrations, so some support for the facility from central government was forthcoming.



Why should it have to be 'interested' in F1? There's enough money in the sport for it not to require central government help.

I don't think any government money should go into F1 either. I was just commenting that the government don't help F1 regardless of their relationship with Sky and the BBC.

The main problem is Bernie demanding so much for an overpriced product. Broadcasters are walking away from it and it's slowly killing the sports global audience.

[acescribe]

Channel 4 it is...

10 of the 21 races live, including practice sessions (as per the BBC deal) They have already announced that it will be "a totally new commentary and presenting team"

Thankfully that hopefully does mean the end of Eddie Jordan on TV! Odds on DC rocking up on Sky???

[henners88]

Channel 4 it is...

10 of the 21 races live, including practice sessions (as per the BBC deal) They have already announced that it will be "a totally new commentary and presenting team"

Thankfully that hopefully does mean the end of Eddie Jordan on TV! Odds on DC rocking up on Sky???

If DC replaced Brundle I might be tempted to watch Sky more often. Sad that they are not adopting the team on C4. I actually like EJ to be honest. He adds character unlike the sterile Sky broadcast IMO.

[BDunnell]

I don't think any government money should go into F1 either. I was just commenting that the government don't help F1 regardless of their relationship with Sky and the BBC.

There's no question in this instance of the government helping F1. This is about the BBC.

The main problem is Bernie demanding so much for an overpriced product. Broadcasters are walking away from it and it's slowly killing the sports global audience.

It is one problem. Viewers walking away from it is another. But this wouldn't be happening without the funding pressures on the BBC, and they are ideologically-driven by this government.

[Bezza]

The BBC needs sorting out from top to bottom with the things that have been going on there over the last 30 years. You saw cuts are made, but they are still paying the likes of Chris Evans huge sums of money to be a prat for a living.

My main concern was ads and now that it is confirmed as Channel 4 and ad-free (during the race) then I'm satisfied. ITV would never have agreed to ad-free, and that is probably how Channel 4 have won the deal.

I think, BDunnell, to suggest it is Conservative voters that caused this is a bit far-fetched...! At the end of the day, the BBC has been a declining force for many years now, long before the year 2010!

[henners88]

Indeed BBC sport has been in decline for nearly a decade now. The recent pressures are not helping but it is from what I gather a continued pressure to downsize the BBC and that started under Labour. I am tempted to challenge the license fee next year as I really don't watch many BBC broadcasts any more. The F1 was probably the most legitimate program in that claim. Perhaps i'll partake in cost cutting measures and only watch channels that are funded by advertising? My Sky box is chipped so I don't pay for that either lol.

[Bezza]

I can't see BBC lasting much longer now myself. We are seeing a changing of the guard of TV currently. NOW TV, Amazon Prime and Netflix are the new ways of doing things and BBC are way behind the curve on this. Why pay a license fee for TV that isn't very good - when you can pay a monthly subscription (that costs less) for one of those and have instant access to all sorts of different programmes and movies?

Only programmes left on BBC that I watch are Match of the Day and Graham Norton Show on a Friday night.

[AndyL]

We all saw this coming though and the BBC are getting worse in all departments. I can't see the license fee being around much longer as we are gradually getting less for our money. It's getting difficult to justify.

We're getting a lot more for our money than we did a few years ago when there were only two BBC channels. Especially considering the license fee is at the lowest level since 1984 in real terms. And added to that the BBC has had to shoulder government-imposed costs like £900m for the move to Manchester and taking over funding the World Service from the Foreign Office.

I think your view of the BBC shows that successive governments have been quite successful in undermining the BBC in favour of their prominent commercial media friends.